24 Little chick

Yang Zhang was surprised when the tiny chick suddenly pecked the Mana Bead as if it wanted to eat it.

Of course, he didn't want to use a little chick as his new companion because what could a baby chick like this do? Launch itself into a zombie's mouth and become its snack?

After knowing the incredible power of Dynamic Fire from the Mana Bead, he didn't want to give it up to some random animal. He wanted to give it an animal with superb agility instead, maybe a deer or at least a monkey.

"Hey! Don't eat that!" Yang Zhang yelled at the chick, but the little chick ignored his shout and continued pecking. It was starting to create a dent on the Mana Bead.

"Hey!" Yang Zhang was about to snatch the Mana Bead away, but the Little Chick pecked his hand. "Ouch!"

He would have thought that a tiny chick's peck wouldn't be too painful, but the injured spot actually started bleeding.

"Holy shit, this little chick is aggressive!" Yang Zhang tried to snatch the Mana Bead with his other hand, but the chick quickly kicked it away from Yang Zhang and continued pecking.

Yang Zhang tried to get up to no avail. He was spent after using way too much energy against the jungle fowls. Thus, he ordered, "Chestnut, Ivy, catch that chicken!"

"Vii!"

"Squeak!"

Chestnut quickly jumped out of Yang Zhang's jacket and chased after the tiny chick, but amazingly it quickly dribbled the Mana Bead away from Chestnut like a ball.

Chestnut tried to tackle the chick, but right when the squirrel was about to catch it, the baby chick jumped up and stomped Chestnut right on the back.

"Squeaaak!" Chestnut laid limply on the ground in pain.

"Oh, no, Chestnut!" Yang Zhang glanced at the little chick continuing to peck and creating a noticeable mark on the Mana Bead's surface.

"Damn it! Ivy, catch that little shit!"

"Vii!" Little Ivy unleashed four vines that lashed towards the chick, but the young chick faced the vines that could break apart solid rocks without fear and then gracefully avoided one vine after another before pecking at them without mercy.

"VIIII!" Little Ivy wailed in pain as the vines were torn, and it was even more damaging than before when the adult jungle fowls pecked her.

She retracted the vines quickly and showed the damage to Yang Zhang, "Vii…."

"Damn! What kind of chicken is that?! How could that little chick hurt Ivy this badly?!" Yang Zhang yelled. The damage to the Mana Bead was getting worse, and he shouted angrily for the chick to stop, "Hey! Don't waste that good Mana Bead—"

Crack.

"GYAAAAHH!" Yang Zhang was hysterical when he saw the Mana bead had been cracked right in half by the little chick.

The young chick paid no attention to his cries and started eating the Mana Bead, gobbling it up bit by bit, just like a regular chicken eating seeds.

Yang Zhang, who was so exhausted that he couldn't move at all, was only able to watch his dream of some cool helper shatter into pieces as the cracked Mana Bead was slowly consumed by the tiny chick.

After eating the Mana Bead up, the young chick stared in Yang Zhang's direction, and slowly, a fiery red aura engulfed its body.

Of course, it was only a small fiery aura befitting the chick's size, but it was bright enough, and when it flared up, it acted like a flashbang.

"CHIIIRPP!"

Yang Zhang closed his eyes when there was an explosion and a flash from the baby chick. It must have been a goner, probably turned into a bite-sized chicken wing at this point.

But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw the little chick's body had turned orange, and he had literal Goku's Super Saiyan 2 hair on its head.

"What the—"

The tiny chick walked towards Yang Zhang's spot and stood right in front of his face.

"Oh no!" Yang Zhang closed his eyes again, bracing himself. If the chick wanted to burn his face, maybe as an act of revenge because Yang Zhang tried to snatch the baby chick and all the siblings before, he would have no way to defend himself.

But surprisingly, the little chick just chirped before jumping up and landing on Yang Zhang's head.

It roosted peacefully in his hair, and Yang Zhang opened his eyes cautiously.

"H—Hey, what are you doing up there?" he asked the little chick.

"Chirp, chirp!"

"Huh? You want to stay with me because you don't like your family?"

"Chirp! Chirp, chirp!"

"And you've been planning a coup d'etat towards the rooster commander all along because he is a dictator?"

"Chirp!"

…

"I didn't know that a little chick can commit treason against its own dad…."

Yang Zhang didn't want to think about it anymore, so he changed the subject and started negotiating with the chick instead. It wouldn't be good to go easy on it. After all, he remembered how the rooster commander could control an entire army of jungle fowls.

Now imagine the offspring…

"Listen, little guy, when you're with me, you cannot leave, and you shouldn't stage a coup d'etat at me, understand?"

"Chirp!"

"In exchange, we will go on an adventure of slaying zombies and exploring many places!" Yang Zhang said.

"Chiiirpp!"

"Hehe, well, if you are willing, then we should give you a name. Of course, I cannot call you little chick every day. We need a proper name!"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

"Huh? You want to be named Torchic? H—Hey, that's forbidden. We would get copyright trouble if you used that name."

"Chiirp… Chirp!"

"What? Do you want to be a military Lieutenant? Sure, but you need a name to follow that title…."

Yang Zhang was thinking of a proper name. He wanted a name that would show the little chick prowess, although he hadn't seen it show off its power yet.

"Chicken… wings… wings… hot…." Yang Zhang mumbled, trying to find a good name, then he found one!

"How about… Lt. Spicy Wing!? You know, Spicy wing means you're a good menu—I—I mean, you're fiery and strong!"

"Chirp! Chirp!" The tiny chick hopped on top of his head a few times, showing its agreement.

"Hehe, okay then! Your name is Lt. Spicy Wing now! Let's embark on a dangerous but fun journey, okay?"

"Chirp!"

"Okay, I've found a new member! Time to plan on another journey to find more Brain and Mana Beads!"

"Chirp!"

"Vii.."

"Squeak."

Yang Zhang looked at Little Ivy, who was still whimpering in pain, and Chestnut, who lay on the ground, just like him.

"Alright, we will move… as soon as I can get up."